CMS Grows Anti-Bullying List
While the current CMS policy generally complies with the new state statute, in order to be in strict compliance, several provisions needed to be either added or changed, explained Board of Education Vice Chairman Tom Tate.
From the board’s executive summary: “The primary change affects the defining characteristics of those most likely to be the targets of bullying and harassment. The law mandates that the policy include at a minimum these differentiating characteristics: race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, socioeconomic status, academic status, gender identity, physical appearance, sexual orientation, or mental, physical, developmental, or sensory disability.”
The policy CMS adopted two years ago does not include three of those characteristics: ancestry, academic status, and developmental disability. The board-approved amendments tossed them into the mix. Additionally, CMS’ updated policy now includes language providing for behavior expectations, anonymous reporting, procedures for investigation of claims and prohibitions against retaliation against those making reports.
Board member Kaye McGarry cast the lone vote against approving the amendments.
“We should have a policy that protects all students, teachers and staff from bullying – period,” she said. “We don’t need dozens of different classifications to do that, unless there’s another agenda that’s being pushed.”
Board member Rhonda Lennon said she was willing to support the amended policy, even though she also thought the myriad defining classes weren’t needed.
“Anybody bullying anybody for any reason is unacceptable,” she said.
Superintendent Peter Gorman said that with the district’s policy in place, incidents of bullying dropped about 30 percent last year, from 892 to 582. CMS data showed that the most predominant type of bullying was verbal, Gorman said, and that about 65 percent of bullying cases took place at bus stops.
Tate emphasized that the board’s amended anti-bullying policy was meant to protect everyone.
“I would like for it to be clearly understood that there are no protected classes included in our policy,” he said, “and there never have been.”
Except, of course, for race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, socio-economic status, academic status, gender identity, physical appearance, sexual orientation, mental, physical, developmental or sensory disability, creed, political belief, age, linguistic or language differences, height, weight, maternal status or paternal status.
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